CHAPTER III. 



A PIKE STORY. 



|9ANY years have passed away since 

 the following adventure with a pike 

 happened to me : 



I was staying in one of the wes- 

 tern parts of England, on a visit to some old 

 friends ; there were a large party of us assem- 

 bled, shooting and hunting was the order of 

 the day, and after dinner we adjourned to the 

 billiard-room, where pool and yarns ruled the 

 evening. Amongst the company was a certain 

 cavalry captain, who had pretty well pigeoned 

 some of us youngsters I believe I was about; 

 the only one who he had not got an I.O.U. out 

 of I had always been a pretty good hand at 

 taking care of myself, and I determined this 



